Enthusiasms and expostulations, by Glenn Kenny

September 21, 2010

Nostalgia faux, Sellers

The notion of imaginary nostalgia rears its potentially intriguing head in my consideration of an interesting package of three very early Peter Sellers films compiled, with love and conscientiousness as usual, by the fine folks across the pond at BFI. One of Sellers most interesting abilities as a performer was his ability to make himself look older without what appeared to be an inordinate amount of effort and/or makeup; over at right we see him in his role as "The Major" in Penny Points To Paradise, the main feature of the BFI package. The film was released in 1951, when Sellers was all of twenty-six years of age. Elsewhere in the package he rather resembles a certain McManus of musical bent. Further thoughts are posted in the Foreign DVD Report at The Daily Notebook, as is my weekly custom.

Count me as one who sometimes "derives a perverse enjoyment out of awful jokes", if I'm in the right frame of mind (and, no, I don't mean "high"... a little drunk, possibly). Particularly, if the jokes exampled are executed in a dry/subtle way, rather than loud/broad. Still, if I had to Sophie's Choice these jokes or that of the recent ___ MOVIE "comedies" (beginning with SCARY MOVIE) -- or movies/TV programs where the working comedy theory is "loud = funny" -- I'd choose the former, eight or nine times out of 10.

Your use of "this ever-changing world in which we're livin'" made me think I've been wrong all these years and Sir Paul doesn't actually sing "this ever-changing world in which we live in," but the sites with the lyrics have it this way. Don't tell my wife, but Sir Paul is as fallible as the rest of us.

I don't think I'd call the dog joke awful either! Morally untenable, obviously, and packed full of incredibly ugly beliefs, but not inherently awful. Unless one actually believes a joke cannot be both a pretty decent joke and morally appalling, but I think that's a pretty shaky premise.

Update: I shared the what-I-thought-was-very-amusing dog joke with my missus, and it seems she shared Glenn's opinion; afterwards she threatened to "bop" me, which is not, sadly, some sort of sexy euphemism but rather a promise of physical (if hopefully comical) violence.

Oh, that joke's not that bad. It's a classic that's less funny now due to familiarity, but it's perfectly fine overall. It reminds me of a Goon Show bit, which I can barely remember, and can't find handy quotes from on-line, that has to do with a misunderstanding among unpleasant rich folks at a restaurant who believe the menu indicates that children are a protein to be served. As I say, I can't remember how it plays out, but the big laugh involves one of them wondering about the children's preparation, and Peter Cook saying "Oh, I imagine they just spring it on them."

Same basic structure, I'd say, as the dog joke. Much funnier than the dog joke, too, but it's part of the same sensibility.